The evaluation of skin cleansers and protective creams for workmen exposed to mineral oil.

In n-any industrial processes the workman's skin is constantly exposed to mineral oils which are known to be potentially harmful. Adequate removal of these oils from the skin after work, though desirable, is not easily accomplished, and the use of abrasive and excessively alkaline cleansers for this purpose is a frequent cause of skin disease in industry. Various cleansing agents free from these defects have now been marketed. In order to facilitate cleansing and to protect the skin during work, " barrier " or protective creams are frequently used. In this paper methods are described of estimating the effectiveness of these agents. The experiments were carried out directly on the human skin, since it is believed that only by reproducing as accurately as possible the natural conditions of use of these substances can a reliable assessment of their efficiency be obtained.